‘No place to hide’: tension highlights vulnerability of Taiwan’s frontline islands
- Matsu archipelago, less than 10km from mainland China at the closest point, would likely be an early target if Beijing attacks
- The islands were regularly bombarded at the height of the Cold War, and today they are a fashionable tourist destination
Held by Taiwan since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a Chinese civil war, the archipelago of small islands, less than 10km (6.2 miles) from mainland China at the closest point, would probably be an early target for Beijing in the event of conflict.
While there has been no heightened sense of alarm among the people of Taiwan, the tension has highlighted the Matsu islands’ vulnerability.
“I don’t feel particularly safe – after all this island, Dongyin, would be the front line of the battlefield,” said Dora Liu, 27, from Dongyin, the northernmost territory Taiwan controls and home to a major military base.
“A small island like ours could be taken down in a moment,” she said. “If there is a war, there would be no place to hide. No matter how many tunnels we have, if they really occupied us, there would be no use in having tunnels.”